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According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), every facility-acquired bedsore in a nursing facility can be prevented if the nursing staff takes appropriate measures and consistently monitors the resident’s skin. Unfortunately, the Pana elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have handled many cases where residents have suffered preventable bedsores (pressure sores; pressure wound; pressure ulcers; decubitus ulcers) that have diminished the quality of their life or caused their premature death.
Bedsores develop from a lack of movement when pressure on a bony part of the body restricts blood flow, oxygen, and nutrients to the skin and underlying tissue. The most common places on the body include the back of the head, shoulders, shoulder blades, elbows, sacrum (tailbone) knees, ankles, and heels.
Heritage Health – PanaHeritage Health – Pana is a 151-certified bed for profit Medicare/Medicaid-approved nursing facility providing services to residents of Pana and Christian County, Illinois. The facility is located at:
1000 E. 6th St. Road
Pana, Illinois 62557
(217) 562-2174
In addition to providing skilled nursing care for both long-term and short-term residents, Heritage Health – Pana also provides:
- Hospice care
- Restorative therapy including physical, occupational, speech and respiratory
- Respite care
To ensure that families have adequate information before placing a loved one in a nursing facility, the federal government and the state of Illinois routinely update their nursing home databases. The update includes newly filed complaints, opened investigations, safety concerns, and health violations. The results of the updates can be found on numerous sites online including Medicare.gov.
Currently, Heritage Health – Pana maintains an overall four out of five available star rating in the national star rating summary system. This includes four out of five stars for health inspections, three out of five stars for staffing issues and two out of five stars for quality measures. However, our Pana Illinois nursing home neglect attorneys have found numerous concerns involving this facility that include:
- Failure to Provide Every Resident Adequate Treatment to Prevent the Development of a New Bedsore or Allow an Existing Bedsore to Heal
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 03/10/2016, a state surveyor made a notation during an annual licensure and certification survey concerning the facility's failure to "ensure a pressure ulcer dressing was in place.” In addition, the state investigator also noted the facility’s failure “to cleanse the pressure ulcer with the ordered solution.”
The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Heritage Health – Pana was first noted at 9:30 AM on 03/09/2016 when a Registered Nurse/Wound Nurse provided wound care for a resident’s “pressure ulcer to his sacrum. No dressing was on the pressure ulcer.” The Registered Nurse stated, “I put a new dressing on yesterday, I don’t know when his dressing came off, no one notified me that his dressing came off.” At that time, the nurse cleansed the resident’s “pressure ulcer with water and applied [a medicated dressing while stating] I did not use normal saline to clean the wound because I wasn’t thinking.”
The investigator reviewed the resident’s February 2016 Pressure Ulcer Tracking Report that documents the resident “developed a facility-acquired Stage II pressure ulcer to his sacrum which was identified on 02/08/2016 with measurements of 0.5 centimeters by 0.3 centimeters by 0.1 centimeters.” The resident’s last ulcer assessment was dated 03/07/2016 with measurements of 2.0 centimeters by 0.5 centimeters by 0.1 centimeters” indicating it is grown significantly in size.
- Failure to Provide Proper Services to Every Resident to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 03/10/2016, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to provide complete incontinence care to prevent infection [for a resident at the facility] reviewed for incontinence care.” The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Heritage Health – Pana was first noted at 10:16 AM on 03/08/2016 after an observation of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) providing incontinence care to a resident. At the time of the observation, the resident was noted to have had “a small bowel movement (BM).”
The Certified Nursing Assistant wiped the resident’s “rectal area with a cloth one time [before dropping] on the floor and the bottle remained on the floor [by the CNA] continue to wipe BM from the rectum four times with wet cloths, with no soap on them, and dried with a towel.” The investigator noted that after the resident was turned on her left side, no additional cleansing occurred to the resident’s buttocks, back or hip.
Investigator noted that the actions of the nursing staff at Heritage Health – Pana failed to follow the facility’s 08/27/2012 policy titled: Incontinent Care – Male & Female that reads in part:
“Objective, to cleanse the perineum, to prevent infections and odors, to prevent injury to the integrity of the skin. Equipment, Soap, and water or perineal cleanser. Procedure, Cleanse area well with soap and water (or perineal cleanser) on a washcloth.”
If your loved one has suffered a facility-acquired bedsore or infection while residing in any nursing home in Illinois including Heritage Health – Pana, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can intervene on your behalf. Our Christian County elder abuse attorneys can begin the process to obtain the financial recompense you deserve.
We accept all personal injury claims for compensation on contingency to avoid the need for an upfront payment. contact our Pana Illinois nursing home abuse law offices at (888) 424-5757 today to schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation.
http://www.heritageofcare.com/pana
